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The vampire craze is a little past due. If Audi had run this ad last year during the Trueblood, Vampire Diaries and the Twilight hype they probably could have really cashed in. Not to say this is a bad ad, I actually really enjoyed it being a vampire lover myself.

In the ad, a guy is driving an Audi to a vampire party, he let’s us know he is a vampire by flashing his fangs. There are shots of the vampires partying under the full moon, enjoying blood bags, tree climbing, playing acoustic guitars, just as all vampires do. Problems arise when the Audi driving vampire pulls up to the party with the new LCD “daylight headlights” on and all of his pals are instantly incinerated by the “daylight.”

The song “The Killing Time” by Echo & the Bunnymen was a perfect fit for this vampire themed ad. And I really liked the addition of the #solongvampires hashtag, it shows that Audi is a forward thinking company and are really “with it.”

Overall it was a good ad and Audi’s new LCD “daylight headlights” could very well be the solution to the overpopulated bloodthirsty vampires!

Christie’s Pick:

This spot had it all: a Rocky-esque montage, zippy red car, relatable hero, the American dream, and promises of summer. Oh, and our hero is a chubby dog. I was excited to explore those ideas, and then I watched it again.

As I wondered what the title “The Dog Strikes Back” was all about, it played though until the awkward commercial-in-a-commercial ending I had conveniently missed the first time around. A little research later and it appears that the chubby dog is 2012’s answer to 2011’s cute Darth Vader kid. And that barking dog YouTube video that I ignored (but everyone went nuts for on Facebook) was the teaser for it.

The story stood on its own without the self-referential Star Wars ending. If I hadn’t watched it again (and again) I would have been so much more satisfied. The teaser with dogs barking iconic music from Star Wars had some relevance to the 2011 spot, and arguably some solid pop-culture cred, but this felt as cheap as “it was all a dream…”

Whether or not we think these ads lived up to the same hype as the game still remains undecided. There’s no doubt that this advertising monster has grown to William Perry* like proportions. A whopping 84% price increase over the past 10 years. And an estimated viewership of 111 million+ fans. The cost of a 30-second spot during the game was $3.5 million, the highest price in history. With arguably as many people tuning in for the advertising as the game itself.

Sure, Clint’s raspy voice is irresistible, and this we-can-do-it spot is captivating enough to stun a room of nacho wielding, face painted fans into a quiet retrospective audience. But what’s best about this ad is simply the strategic headline. “It’s Halftime in America”. It’s a simple concept that says a lot. One line captures the grit and fatigue of a tough game, the encouragement of your coach and the motivation of knowing the game’s not over. The poignant wording enhances the spot but ultimately it’s the relatable emotional experience transposed onto a new subject that makes it so great. Simple ideas with great execution will always triumph.

Danny’s Pick:

The NFL celebrates a century of football with this visually stylish look back at the evolution of the sport and player safety. It comes on the wake of some controversy surrounding a recent rash of head injuries. It’s a stark contrast to the typical garish Super Bowl advertising of the day. Starting with the games humble beginnings in 1906, the yardage on the field reflects an exciting look at the decades past. Rightfully finishing in the end zone with a TD by the games most exciting return specialist, Devon Hester. The final line says it all “Here’s to making the next century safer and more exciting than ever”. A win in my books.